


Being a Real Adult

by brazenmagnolia



Category: Original Work
Genre: Asexuality Spectrum, Dumpter Couch, Gen, IKEA, Pinterest, What is Adulting anyway
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-25
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2020-09-26 03:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20382814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brazenmagnolia/pseuds/brazenmagnolia
Summary: Adulting-what is it even? Originally written for a flash-fic contest.





	Being a Real Adult

“What a complete and utter pile of crap. Where does she get off, saying that?”

“I don’t know, Morgan,” Rhys started, “I mean, I can see Maria’s point…”

Morgan whirled on him. “Rhys Wesley Elmore, don’t you dare finish that sentence. I can’t believe that Maria would say I’m ‘just a child’ and ‘not living the life of a true adult’ and I absolutely cannot believe you would back her up! I know that, as the middle child, you’re the peacemaker, but she doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this argument. I have a stable job, my own apartment- I even have a 401K and dental! How much more real adult can you get than that?”

Rhys paused, looking around Morgan’s studio apartment before he answered, his eyes pausing on the copious band posters that adorned his younger sister’s walls. “Yes, you have a job that has good benefits, but you hate it, remember? In literally every conversation we’ve had since you started there, you’ve somehow managed to bring up how much you hate it. We were talking about the issues I was having potty-training my puppy and you somehow segued that into a story about how your supervisor was an incessant micromanager. And this apartment is a carbon copy of your college dorm, even though you graduated four years ago. Don’t you think it’s time to move on?” At the mention of the potty training conversation, Morgan rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms when Rhys brought up the interior decorating in her apartment. Her reply to Rhys mirrored her defensive stance.

“Excuse me, but Mom and Dad constantly complain about their jobs and have done so since we were kids, so I think that’s sadly very ‘true adult’ of me. And do you really want to bring interior decorating into this argument, sir whose entire house is still the same as when his interior decorator ex broke up with him two years ago?” 

Seeing the hurt in Rhys’ eyes at the mention of Steph, said interior decorator ex, Morgan sighed and softened her stance. She held up her hand to cut off Rhys, who’d just opened his mouth to reply. “No, that was harsh of me. I know Steph is still a sore spot for you, and I went for a low blow. But Rhys, do you really, truly believe that Maria accused me of not being a ‘real adult’ because I don’t like my job and have the interior decorating style of an undergrad?” Saying this, she walked over to her ratty couch, realizing as she collapsed onto it to wait for Rhys’ answer that she had gotten it out of a dumpster at the end of sophomore year. Rhys might have had a point.

He sighed and walked over to flop down next to her on the couch. “No,” he replied, looking at her, “no, I don’t. Maria said it because you didn’t follow in her footsteps and get married to your college sweetheart right after undergrad and then proceed to have two kids, get a dog, and build a thriving party-planning business.” At his answer, Morgan nodded, throwing him a ‘yeah, duh’ look. Then she sighed and buried her face in her hands. Rhys thought he heard a muffled sob.

“Hey, hey,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and bringing her head to his chest. “You know that’s all heteronormative bull though, right?” Morgan uncovered her face and sniffled. “Being married doesn’t make you a real adult. Having kids doesn’t make you real adult. Aunt Judy is single and childless, and she’s one of the most adult people I know.”

“I don’t know if I actually know that,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Because all I see in books and magazines and on TV are people telling me that the true way to be an adult is to get married and have kids. And I don’t see either of those things in happening in my future. So when Maria comes in and accuses me of not being a real adult because I’m not following her traditional path to adulthood, it really sucks. I get enough negative messaging about my life from society- I don’t need it to come from my own family too. It just, it really hurt when she said that, ok Rhys?” 

He didn’t reply, just continued to side-hug her as she sniffled. After a few minutes, she took a deep breath and straightened up, wiping her eyes. “Well, guess that’s just another thing to talk to my therapist about. Quite the list I’ve got for her.”

“Bro, you have a therapist?”

“Real adult, Rhys! I thought I should actually try to deal with my problems instead of constantly ignoring and compartmentalizing them- seemed like the adult thing to do. Didn’t you notice my apology earlier?”

“Yeah, actually, I was surprised by that. I’m glad it’s helping. Very real adult of you, to actually try and deal with your issues. Mom and Dad never really reached that level of adult.” At this, she snorted and nodded. 

“Yeah, I wish they had. But you’re right that I hate my job, and I have been complaining about it instead of trying to find a new one. I just think I hate job searching even more than I hate my manager.” They fist bumped at this, Rhys having just gotten a job after six months of unemployment. “Ugh, I don’t know, I’m just not sure where I’d even go or want to do. Not all of us have the Pinterest boards and time management skills to pull off Maria’s career.” They fist bumped again. “Maybe we could focus on the interior decorating point first?”

“Yeah, sis, this couch is pretty rough. It looks like it came from a dumpster, honestly.” At Morgan’s suddenly shifty look, Rhys groaned and got up, a look of disgust on his face. “Really, Mor? That’s it. I’m going to give you the couch from my living room that you really like, and then we’re going to go furniture shopping together to replace some of the stuff that Steph bought. This couch can go back in the dumpster, where it belongs.” Morgan heard a ding on her phone-when she looked she saw that she’d gotten a calendar invite from Rhys for an event on Saturday called “Couch Exchange! No More Dumpster Couch!” Chuckling, she accepted the invitation, then walked into her kitchen area to get some food. She hadn’t had dinner yet, and all this sharing feelings made her hungry. Rhys followed her, grabbing a plate and dishing himself up some of the lasagna that was on the table.

Rhys and Maria had originally come over for a sibling dinner, but then Maria had brought in a plate of appetizers and said she couldn’t stay, because she had some ‘real’ responsibilities she needed to fulfill. It devolved from there, Rhys caught in the middle of their fight. Fortunately, the lasagna had been in the slow cooker, so it was still edible when Rhys and Morgan got to it.

Conversation over dinner and dessert was carefully void of any topic related to ‘real adulting.’ But as Rhys was heading out, she stopped.

“Rhys? Thanks.”

“Don’t worry about it sis. We’re in this together. Between the two of us, I’m sure we can figure out how to be real adults.”


End file.
